Black and White Photograph
by Aleka
Summary: *Now Complete!!*(Breaker High Fanfic) When they dock in Canada, will Sean be able to leave behind all of his misconceptions of life and love?
1. Default Chapter

****

Sean's POV

I breathed in the fresh, salty air. Jimmy and I stepped off the ship when it docked in Halifax, Nova Scotia. 

"Dude, where's the snow?" Jimmy asked, flabbergasted. 

I stared at him. "Jimmy, it's May."

"Yeah. And it's _Canada."_

I often wondered about Jimmy. Sometimes he surprised me with how amazingly moronic he could be. 

"BOATS!" he cried, pointing to the harbour where there was a bunch of fishing boats.

Laughing, I slapped him across the head. That was Jimmy for you; my best friend. "Jimbo, we've been _living_ on a boat for the past HOW many months?"

"Our boat does not catch FISH, little buddy."

"Come on," I said impatiently. We still had to come up with an idea for our Canada research assignment. "We need to FOCUS, Jimmy. Stop--Hey! Jimmy! Stop chasing the seagulls!"

Leaving the poor birds alone, he sauntered back to me. "Okay. Any ideas yet?"

"Nope," I replied. "But I'm wearing my lucky pants. The guy that sold them to me swears they belonged to Steve McQueen's cousin's best friend's uncle."

"I love Canadian birds, man!" Jimmy exclaimed as an army of seagulls flocked around him, squawking for the cookie in his hand. 

Some of the birds followed us as we walked down the cobblestone streets. The city was pretty enough, I guess, but it looked exactly like just about any of the smaller towns in the states I had been to. I don't know what I had been expecting in Canada, but it wasn't this. 

After about ten minutes of aimless wandering, Jimmy suggested we get something to eat, so we ducked into a small restaurant called Sarah's. A hostess found us a table promptly, brought us a couple of cokes and menus. 

A small girl with disheveled brown hair and eye-catching blue eyes came up to the table. "Are you ready to order?" she asked, her voice sweet and not over-bearingly friendly. 

"Yeah, you got anything really Canadian?" Jimmy asked eagerly. "I want to taste your culture!" 

I shook my head at him, looked up at the girl with an apologetic smile and then kicked him under the table. 

"Uh, I could bring you a hamburger," she offered. 

"You make HAMBURGERS in Canada?" he demanded. "Well good for you! Your country is really moving up in the world!"

"Yep," she laughed. "Can I get you anything else besides the infamous Canadian burger?"

I smiled at her. "How about your name?"

The girl stared at me skeptically, as if she had heard every line in the book. I wasn't trying to be a creep; I just thought she was pretty. 

"I have a nametag," she said, aloof.

"Hey, Sean, her name's Zoey," Jimmy helped me out. "It says so on her nametag."

__

"Thanks," I said, giving him a warning look. "But I'm good for now. I'm still working on my cola, doll."

"Okay." She took our menus and walked away. 

"Dude, she was pretty hot," he said slowly, and then started to chuckle. "She shut you _down_, man!"

I mocked his laughter, which backfired and got us both giggling. 

It's not like I wasn't used to getting shut down, if I'm being honest. Much of my time was devoted to my mission of trying to get a girl to notice me. And if we happened to go skinny-dipping after she noticed me, so be it. So far, no skinny-dipping action for me yet. 

But there was something about the defiant look in her wide blue eyes that made _me_ feel defiant about taking no for an answer. 

****

Zoey's POV

It was a slow afternoon. While I waited to be put to use, I played solitaire with a trick deck of cards in a corner booth. 

I kept glancing over at the two guys across the room. They obviously weren't from around here. The one guy was wearing a colourful Gilligan/fisherman hat over his sandy coloured hair, the brim shadowing his eyes. The other boy was scrawny, but not in a emaciated way. He had intelligently shrewd blue eyes and a genuine smile. 

I was feeling bad for being such a bitch to him He had only asked for my name. And then he'd called me_ doll. _Gotta say, I've never been called that before. It had startled me. Because I'd never been hit on, I didn't know if he was being sincere or not. 

"Zoey, table five," one of the cooks called, sliding a plate across the counter. Almost nervous, I walked over, balanced it on my hand and brought it over to the out-of-town boys. 

"Hello," I said. "Is this Canadian enough for you?"

The heftier guy's eyes lit up like a little boy on Christmas as I set the hamburger in front of him. "Oh baby."

The other boy smiled shyly up at me. "That's Jimmy talk 'I approve.'"

It took me a moment to find my voice. He had the best smile. It just lit up…everything. My hesitation caused his smile to falter curiously. 

I jammed my notepad in my pocket and stuck out my hand. "My name's Zoey Anderson."

Grinning, he accepted the gesture and shook my hand. "Sean Hanlon."

Jimmy held out a French fry to me. "Canadian fry?"


	2. First Day Together

****

Sean

Zoey stayed and talked with us for awhile, considering the restaurant was pretty patron-less. We found out that she was a junior like me, and she was also new to Halifax. She had moved here from Western Canada at the beginning of the school year. 

Having consumed too much coke, Jimmy got up in search of the bathroom. I pointed to his empty seat and said, "Do you want to sit down?"

She smiled softly, which confirmed my feelings. Yep, definite crush on this one. 

"He won't like pick me up and throw me across the room when he finds out I stole his spot, will he?" Zoey asked nervously. 

I waved a hand apathetically. "Nahh. You should be fine."

"So," she said, absentmindedly piling Jimmy's empty plates. She looked up at me. "You think he'll want a refill on his pop?"

"I hope not. I have to sleep in the same room as him. He'll keep me up all night, because he's scared of the dark and he needs me to wait for him in the hallway while he goes to the bathroom."

"What's that like, a semester at sea?" She shook her head. "I think it would be an amazing experience, but my family doesn't have that kind of money. But to meet people from all over the world and stuff? What's that like?"  
Shrugging, I gave her a smirk. "I have no complaints."

"Do you get homesick?"

That wasn't a question that came up very often when asked about Breaker High. Maybe she was just one of those annoying, intuitive types, and she could somehow tell just by looking that I was getting kinda homesick. Attempting to sound cool, I replied, "Not _sick_, but I do miss my family sometimes, yeah. My mom's a good cook. And I miss terrorizing my brother a little."

"Well, you could always terrorize Jimmy," she said, trying to be helpful. 

"I try, Zoey," I laughed. "But I always manage to do something that just gets _me_ in trouble."

I loved the way she tossed her hair when she laughed. "Sounds like me."

"You don't look like the type that anyone could stay mad at."

"Oh, people are constantly mad at me; I'm a dumbass," she explained. 

"You!" Jimmy cried, pointing at Zoey. "What is wrong with your Canadian hamburgers?"

"Pardon?"

"They're not even _cow_, are they?" he demanded. He was oddly coloured, and looked kinda shiny. 

"Nope. It's a fascinating combination of beaver, moose and Canadian geese."

"You are sick, sick people," he exclaimed. "I'm going back to the boat before I yak all over your blasphemous restaurant."

Before I could follow him, he left the building. I hoped he would be able to find his way back to the boat. His sense of direction wasn't all that keen. 

Zoey's arresting eyes were filled with concern. "Did our food really make him sick?"

"I doubt it. Food never makes Jimmy sick." I smiled reassuringly. "He gets land sick."

The cutest thing I had ever seen was when an unexpected blush flowered over her cheeks. "So uh, hmm…Um, well, so, you...do you need a tour guide?"

"You mean, you?"

"Well maybe me, I mean, but it's okay--"

"Hey, take a breath, dollface," I interrupted. "Don't you have to work?"

"No. Well yes. But only till three, which is only twenty minutes from now, but we're not busy so I could probably just wipe down the tables and then go, but if you don't want me to--"

I put a silencing finger to her lips. "I'll help you clean the tables."

****

Zoey

I watched him as he wiped off the table tops, wiping the crumbs onto the floor. His blond hair flopped over his eyes as he stretched across the table to get the corners. He didn't have to help me, but he was, and that did something to my feelings. If he wasn't just visiting Halifax for three days, he was definitely the kind of guy that I would fall for, because he wasn't like any other guy I had ever met. But, I reminded myself, he was only going to be here for seventy-two hours. That wasn't a long enough time to develop anything for anyone. 

When we were done, we stepped outside into the hidden afternoon sun. It looked like it was about to rain. 

"Got any ideas for my research assignment?" he asked as we passed through rustic downtown. 

"Well. There's a forestry farm," I suggested. "I like going there."

"What's a forestry farm?"

"Like a zoo? But not quite?" I shrugged. "Do you want to go?"

"Sure," he said so gamely that it made me laugh. 

"Okay, this will require some craftiness, because I have no money. Wait here." I went to the ticket guy, spoke to him for a second and gestured for Sean to follow me inside. 

"How did you get in here without paying?" he demanded. 

"I asked," I said proudly. "Nothing like good old Canadian politeness. We don't break in, we ask."

"Did you make up a story about how your little brother got lost in here or something?"

Startled, I looked up at him in amusement. "Wow, you're good."

He laughed. "You may _look_ innocent…"

"I wish we had hipotamuses," I muttered. 

"Hipota--Hipota-what?" he laughed. 

"Hipotamuses!"

"Hippopotamuses?"

"Yeah, so Canadians can't say HIPOTAMUS, chalk one up for the Americans," I grumbled. 

Laughing, he placed a hand on top of my head, messed up my hair and led us over to the llamas. 

As he stared lifelessly at them, he said in an awestruck voice, "That one kinda looks like you."

"Oh yes, let's just have wild animal sex right now, you jerk," I snapped, a smile on my face. 

"I think I want a llama to bring home with me to Chicago," Sean decided. "Why don't you go use your Canadian charm and ask to take one?"

"You wouldn't be able to carry it back to the boat."

"What if I just got one of the little ones? Llamas love me."

I laughed.

We were playing with the Shetland ponies when the ticket guy spotted us, an enraged look on his face. "Where's your little brother, huh?" he demanded. 

"Right here!" I cried, pointing to the pony.

"Out!" he yelled, pointing to the exit fifty feet away.

"I'm sure we can arrange something here," Sean offered, a calm, sly smile on his face. 

"You want to clean up after the horses?"

"No. Let's go, Zoey," Sean said, taking me by the arm as we quickly ran away from the ticket man. 

****

Sean

"Well, that wasn't very successful," I announced. "Guess I won't be doing an assignment on Canadian hipotamuses."

"Ha," Zoey said smugly. "I got you saying it the funny way."

"I was mocking you."

"Typical." 

I buried my bare feet in the fine white sand as we sat on the beach. The waves were grey because of the dark sky. It looked almost like a black and white painting as I looked at the ocean. 

"Those waves look perfect for surfing," I told her. 

She scoffed. "I wouldn't know."

"You live next to the Atlantic Ocean and you've never surfed before?" 

"That would be correct."

Throwing my hands up in the air, I cried, "You're missing out, doll! Listen, tomorrow, I'm gonna bring my board when I meet you, and I'm gonna teach you how to ride the waves, okay?"

"You're meeting me tomorrow?" she asked, her voice surprised and innocent. 

"Uh, yeah," I said, as if she'd asked me if the Pope was Catholic. "You're my Canadian girl. I'd be lost without you. Quite literally."

Zoey smiled, her small, unusually pretty face lit up with its sparkle. "So I'm stuck with you, eh?"

"Ahahahahahahaha you said EH!"

"Whoops." 

"You're very Canadiany."

"Oh, you know you like it," she giggled. "Look, uh, there's fireworks tomorrow night. It's Victoria Day, so I get the day off school. Usually, if I want to see them, I have to take my little sister, but if I tell my mom I'm on a _date_, she won't make me take Nikki. So do you want to watch them tomorrow night?"

"Uh, on a date?"

"No! Nononononono," she protested, blushing. "I'm just saying, that's what I'd tell my mom--"

I smiled. "Okay."

"Really?"

"Yeah. We can watch them from the deck."

"The deck?"

"You know…on the boat?"

"I can go on your boat?"

Laughing, I said, "I'll smuggle you aboard." Standing up and dusting my shorts off, I grabbed my sandals and jerked a thumb feebly towards the harbour. "But I'd better get back and see how Jimmy's doing. Do you want me to walk you home or anything?"

"Nah, I live up on the bluff there. I can see my house from here," she said, not making any movements to get up. "And I think I'm just going to stay here for awhile. The waves are pretty today."

"Yeah they are," I agreed, and looking at her as she gazed over the shimmering water, I realized that the entire image was one I probably wouldn't forget because of the pure perfection of it.

She looked up at me, smiling. "It was nice to meet you today. I'll see you tomorrow?"

I nodded, gave her a small wave and started to walk away. I called over my shoulder, "It's a date."


	3. After

****

Sean

Walking into my room, I saw that Jimmy was lying on his bed, looking pretty sick. 

"How you doing, big daddy?" I asked, flopping onto my own bed and kicking off my shoes.

"Augh, I dunno, little buddy, I feel like I swallowed a moose."

"And is that painful?"

"I'm experiencing a Barf-O-Rama. It's not really pleasant."

"Okay, well, when you _do_ barf, aim away from me, understand?"

"I wouldn't barf on _you_," he said haughtily. "I only barf on my _friends_."

"Uh, do you have many friends, then?"

"Funny, Sean," he grumbled. 

"Why are you mad at me?" I demanded. 

"I got to the boat, and I was ready to spew right, and the only person to pat my back with REASSURANCE was ASHLEY. And she wouldn't stop SQUEALING about how disgusting I was."

"Well that was uncharacteristically kind of Ashley," I said slowly. Ashley Dupree was the Southern Belle of the boat, winner of the Miss Southern States Beauty Pageant. Apparently you don't need a lot of personality to win those kinds of competitions. 

"Yeah, and uncharacteristically UNFRIENDLIKE of YOU," Jimmy said angrily. Sometimes when he was mad, he liked to make up words. "You ditched me for that girl."

"I didn't ditch you, you ditched me!" I protested. "You ran out of the restaurant before I could even blink. And besides, her name is _Zoey_, not 'THAT GIRL.'"

"Oh, excuse me. Did you at least figure out something to do for our assignment?"

"Not yet," I said, mimicking his grumpy tone. "She's helping me with it though."

"What do you mean, she's helping you with it? You're seeing her again?"

"Yeah. And so are you. I invited her to come watch the fireworks on the boat."

"There's going to be fireworks on the boat?"

"No," I said impatiently. "There's going to be fireworks in the SKY. We're going to watch them from the boat. And I'm going to teach her to surf tomorrow too."

"You never taught _me_ how to surf!"

"You never asked me to!"

Jimmy just sat there, smoldering for a moment, incoherent insults to throw at me probably flying through his mind at fifty miles an hour. Finally he said, "What, you like her or something?"

"Get real, Jimbo, I've known her for five hours." I shrugged resentfully. "But yes."

He crowed triumphantly. "Hahahahaha you like a Canadian!"

"She's a North American just like us."

"I'm not an Indian."

"NORTH American, Jimmy, not NATIVE American!"

"Oh right," he laughed. 

I grabbed a towel, shaking my head in disbelief, and headed to the bathroom for a shower. 

****

Zoey

"Where were you all day?" my mom asked as I came into the kitchen to look for something to eat. 

"Me?" I popped a wafer cookie in my mouth. 

"No, the other cookie junkie standing behind you."

"Shouldn't let junkies in the house, Mom," I said, reaching for another cookie. 

"Anyway? Where were you?"

"Well, let's see. Fixed that starvation problem over in Uzbekistan…sold myself to prostitution, kicked my heroin habit…met a boy, pet some ponies…so as a whole, I'd say I had a pretty good day except for the prostitution part."

My mom's eyes went wide. "You met a BOY?"

"I thought I mumbled that part so you wouldn't hear and make fun of me," I muttered. 

"Honey! That's so great! And amazing!"

"Mom, I am not a complete toad, you know! It's not that amazing that a boy paid attention to me."

My mother had this theory that I must have a personality deficit because here I was, seventeen years old, with no dating history. It got annoying. 

"I know you're not a toad, sweetie," she said, quite excited. "You're _gorgeous_. I never understood why boys couldn't see that. Who is this boy? Are you going to invite him over? He's not thirty, is he? He's a normal age? Does he have many piercings or tattoos? What's his name?"

"_Mom_," I whined. "It's not that big a deal! I didn't want to tell you because I knew you'd get all schizophrenic and have a mental breakdown."

She stared at me expectantly. 

I sighed. "His name is Sean. He's my age. I didn't see any piercings or tattoos, so they must be in hidden places so I probably won't see them till the end of the second date. He's not from here; he's doing a semester at sea. And no I am not going to invite him over because you're scary, and he's supposed to be learning about Canadian culture, and this family is completely COUNTER-CULTURE!"

"A semester at sea?"

"That's what I said."

Her hands flew to her hair in desperate aggravation. "I KNEW it was too good to be true!"

I growled, frustrated. "Mother, you are a PSYCHO!"

****

Sean

Sitting next to my ex-girlfriend Tamira on lounging chairs by the pool, I looked over at her, wondering about the half smile on her face. "What's on your mind, T?"

"The air is so fresh here," she said, contentedly. 

"Must be the fish."

She glanced at me, that carefree look in her eyes that I had to admit I still loved. "The waves here are good for surfing. Is that offer still good?"

"What offer?" I asked. 

"You said a long time ago that you would teach me how to surf."

I had been trying all day to think of other things besides Zoey because in a couple of days, she would be just a memory. But right then my thoughts drifted back to her, and I said, "Sorry, Tams, I'd love to, but…I'm booked for surf lessons."

"You found another student?"

"Yeah." I nodded. "I must have a thing for waitresses."

"What do you mean, Sean?" Tamira, who was a waitress in the ship's café, asked curiously. "Did you meet someone here?"

"Yeah. I think she poisoned Jimmy," I laughed, but it soon faded and I couldn't help but shrug. "She's really nice."

"What's her name?"

"Zoey."

"Are you going to miss her when we leave Canada?"

"I already do."

Tamira and I had broken up under okay conditions. We were still friends, and it wasn't weird for us to give each other love advice. I would help her sometimes with Max Ballard, this scary guy that all the girls loved for some odd reason. And right now, she didn't seem to mind listening about my Zoey problem.

"I'd like to meet her," Tamira said carefully, looking at me as if asking permission. "She must really be something."

I smiled sadly. "She's got this _light_ in her eyes, T. And you should've seen how _smooth_ she was, sneaking us into the forestry farm place, it's like she's a female Canadian me!"

"That's kinda terrifying."

I laughed. "Aren't you just the amusing one."

She grinned, showing her innocent dimples. 

It sucked. The girl that might just be able to help me stop loving Tamira lived in a different country.


	4. Spring Rain

****

Zoey

Sean spent all morning trying to get me to at least stand up on the board. 

"Okay," he said above the sound of water slapping against the board. I moved my wet hair out of my eyes, as I lay flat, liking the feel of the wax on my bare stomach. "I'm gonna swim with you as you paddle out a bit, and then when I say, just kinda…pop up!"

"Pop? I have been hearing the words _pop up_ all morning, but you still haven't explained to me what that means."

"I can't explain it. Just stand up. And don't fall. Or hit your head."

"Are you sure this water isn't too deep? I'm not a strong swimmer," I said warily. 

"I can still touch the bottom," he assured me. 

"Yeah, but I'm shorter than you."

"I wouldn't let you _drown_, Zo," he laughed. "Okay, WHEN! Pop up!"

I planted my feet squarely underneath me and tried to spring up in time to intercept the gentle lolling wave passing under. I managed to stay standing up for about three seconds, a personal record, and I squealed, delighted. My arms windmilled and I tried to keep my balance, but my feet slipped and my body slammed back against the edge of the board before I hit the water with a smack. 

"Ahahahahaha, that was _awesome_, Zoey!" he cried gleefully. 

"It was _not_," I sputtered. "And I can't touch the bottom--"

"And you apparently can't tread water very well either." I felt Sean's hands go around my waist, and I held on to the back of his neck for dear life. "Woah, ease up on the death grip there."

"Told you I'm not a strong swimmer," I muttered, my teeth chattering. 

"Are you kinda afraid of the water?"

"Eh."

"Sorry dollface," he said. "I'm swim with you back to shore, and then I'm going to catch a couple of waves, is that okay?" 

I huddled under the towel I had brought, not caring that I was getting my bathing suit all sandy. I didn't mind being a spectator. 

Sean fell from the board, and I watched as he reclaimed it and paddled back out. He caught a gooder, and rode it to the shallow depths before he tumbled off. He resurfaced, and ran up the surf to the sand, shaking the water out of his hair like a dog. "Quick, my towel, my towel!" he yelled. "I've gone numb!" I smiled and threw him his towel. He wrapped it around himself and flopped down on the sand next to me. 

"Brr?" I asked.

"Brr," he confirmed. 

"But did you have fun?"

"Very lots," he laughed. "What about you?"

"I bruised my hip, but other than that, yes."

"You bruised your _hip_?" he cackled. "You old granny."

I pressed my hands to his cold cheeks. "Ooh, you're even colder than I am."

"Yeah, you're _warm_," he said, looking mischievous. "That's not fair." He grabbed my waist with his freezing hands.

I squealed. "Get awaaaaay!"

There was a low rumbling deep in the clouds. It looked as if the rain that had threatened us yesterday was coming a day late. 

"Oooh," I said softly. "Rain."

"Ahhh," he agreed. "Rain."

"Come on," I said, bursting out into laughter when he stood up and I saw that his towel was tied around his neck like a cape. "Who are you, Batman?"

"Uhh…yep."

The rain started to fall heavily, and I snatched up my towel, gesturing for him to follow me as I ran to the hidden knoll a few yards down the beach. 

We got to the dug out and sat in it, protected from the rain. 

He grinned. "It's my Batcave!" 

I giggled. 

We watched silently as lightening lit the sky on fire, rolling across the clouds. I felt so at peace, watching a spring thunderstorm raging above the peaceful ocean…next to Sean. 

"Thanks," I said, and then wanted to slap myself. 

"For what?" he laughed curiously. 

"For this."

__

Oh my God! I thought to myself angrily. _Retard! Gah! _

He smiled to himself as I tried to hide my furious blush. 

"You're welcome, I guess," he said. 

__

Way to go, dickmuncher! Now he thinks you're a complete moron who talks stupid!

"Hey." Sean smiled. "Maybe I should come back here in the winter. You could teach me how to walk in those weird snow shoe thingamajigs."

Laughing, I told him, "I've never even seen snow shoes up close. I could teach you how to snowboard though."

"Is that a promise?"

"You'd have to promise to be here."

Sean glanced at me and smirked. 

****

Sean

Zoey and I waited the storm out, and by the time the last raindrop had fallen, it was close to five. It wouldn't be dark for a few hours and the fireworks would not start before it was dark, but I decided to take her back to the boat anyway. 

Looking at her face, I couldn't tell what she was thinking as she took in the ship. But she smiled lightly and she looked around like a little girl in a candy store. She was so cute in that moment and I suddenly realized that my friends were going to somehow find a way to embarrass me and/or Zoey.

"Uh, how would _you_ like to _see _the AMAZING _boiler room?_" I asked her, smiling. 

"That's quite all right, Sean," she laughed.

As we turned the corner, the feeling of dread increasing the closer we got to the pool area, I spotted Ashley Dupree. "Augh!" I exclaimed, panicking. 

"Sean?" she called, a catty look on her face. "Don't tell me that you found a girl willing to spend time with you voluntarily." When she got closer, Ashley gave Zoey a bittersweet smile. "Hi," she drawled. "I'm Ashley Dupree, Miss Southern United States--"

"Spare her, Ashley," I pleaded. "Don't corrupt her mind."

Zoey smiled politely. "I'm Zoey Anderson."

"That's nice. How much is he paying you?"

"Pardon?"

"You mean Breaker High's resident con man hasn't brought up the subject of money with you?"

"Uhh, not as of yet." She grinned, and then winked. "But maybe I'll get lucky tonight."

Ashley sneered at me. "Leave it to you to bring back one of the weird types."

"Hey, I'm _Canadian!_" Zoey called after her as Ashley brushed past us. "What did you expect? Civilization?"

I put her in a headlock. "You're pretty awesome, you know that, kid?"

She giggled, her laughter reverberating against my arm. "I did, in fact, know that. That's why you like me."

"How strange." Entering the pool area, I braced myself for my friends.


	5. Boys of Summer

****

Sean

"Dibs!" I yelled, making a dive for two open lounge chairs. 

I heard Zoey's laughter behind me as she followed close behind and settled into the chair next to me. 

"Aaaany minute now," I said.

"Till what?" she asked, kicking off her sandals. 

"Till someone comes over, all amazed that _you're_ with _me_," I replied, counting to ten in my head. 

"Hey Sean!" someone called, and I smiled. I was good.

I looked back to see Alex and Cassidy in their bathing suits approaching us. I waggled my eyebrows and nodded at them. "How you doin," I said, more of a greeting than a question. "Zo, that's Cassidy, and that's Alex."

"Hi," Cassidy said, grinning at Zoey. "So you're the girl that Ashley was just talking about."

"The girl that _Ashley's_ been talking about?" Alex scoffed, and I glared at him. "More like the girl that _Sean's_ been talking about."

Glancing over at Zoey, I saw that she had this huge smile, but she was blushing adorably. I laughed nervously, and then said, "I think you guys have phone calls or something so you should, um, _leave_."

"Has Sean introduced you to anyone else?" Cassidy asked, completely ignoring me as usual. 

"Just that Ashley girl," she replied. I noticed that now that she was around people she didn't know, she was more soft-spoken and timid than ever. It made me feel pretty good because it made me realize that she felt comfortable enough around me to be herself. 

"Do you mind if we watch the fireworks with you?" Cassidy was grinning maniacally as she sat down on the edge of Zoey's chair. 

"_Yes_, we do mind," I said pointedly. 

Zoey turned her head to look at me. It was like she knew her eyes could turn me into Sean-mush. "Why do we mind? I don't mind."

"Okay, we don't mind," I said automatically to Alex and Cassidy. They burst out laughing. Cassidy made the sound of a whip cracking. "Do not do that, Cassidy, baby, I will unleash anger upon you. JIMBO!" 

Jimmy heard me call his name and waved. "Hey, that's the girl that tried to kill me!"

Cassidy grinned at Zoey. "All right, Zoey! Better luck next time!"

"She didn't try to kill you, big daddy," I explained impatiently. "You're just paranoid."

Proceeding with caution, Jimmy came closer. "It's not paranoia when someone's actually out to get you."

Alex held up a hand. "Okay. Jimmy thinks Zoey is out to get him?"

Zoey smirked. "That's the popular opinion of boys who meet me. It's strange."

"Not _Sean_," Cassidy sang under her breath.

"If I throw a stick will you go away?" I demanded. 

She gave me a dirty look. "Fine. I can take a hint." Cassidy smiled sweetly at Zoey. "Well it was nice to meet _you_. Don't let him talk you into anything that has to do with money or nude beaches."

Zoey looked at me, a small smirk on her face. "Should I be worried?"

"Of course not, dollface, Cassidy is just, like, an insane Barbie doll."

Someone on the deck turned on the radio. That "Yummy, yummy, yummy, I got love in my tummy" song blared. I glanced at Zoey, who was wrinkling her nose in disgust. "Some radio station you got here in Halifax."

She rolled her eyes. "It gets worse."

Sitting with her, with Alex and Jimmy staring at us waiting for us to do something was unnerving me. So I sprang to my feet and pulled her up. 

"What are we doing?" she laughed. 

"You're dancing with me," I informed her. 

"Oh, I am _not._" She tried to retreat back to her chair, but I grabbed hold of her hand. 

"Come on, it's fun!" 

"Noooooo! I can't dance! If I dance, then you'll think that that's what normal Canadian dancing is and I would just embarrass myself in front of you and grrrr, Sean, grrrr."

"Hey, you should see Sean dance," Alex called. "You couldn't possibly be any worse than he is."

"Well excuse me, Mr. Jennifer Lopez Booty Shaker," I said defensively. "You're just jealous because I got the moves and you don't."

"Um, no, not really."

I took both of Zoey's hands gently, smiling down at her. "Dance?"

"Dancing is scaaary…"

"If you can surf, you can dance."

"You just wanna get me bouncing around because I'm a _girl_," she laughed. 

I scoffed in incredulously. "Zoey, you wound me."

Zoey tilted her head at an angle and just smiled at me. My hands were clammy and shaky enough as it _was_, and that little smile did not help matters at all. 

Alex and Jimmy apparently lost interest and left. 

But then I forced her into something resembling a swing dance, and she giggled, bobbing her head to the music with a self-deprecating look on her face. 

****

Zoey

Sean's hands trembled in mine. Up until that moment, I had not known for sure if I really liked him, or if I just thought he was cute. 

But when my touch made him shake…I couldn't help it. I fell in love in an instant. The sun was casting sleepy rays into the rain-sweetened sky as dusk fell over us, the smell of the ocean was lingering in the air, laughter was all around me, and I was falling in love. 

__

Boys of Summer by The Ataris came on the radio, and as I realized that the boy claiming my first infatuation would leave my life in two days, I sunk into his arms without even thinking, the mellow song flowing around me. 

He hesitated in surprise for a moment, but then he placed his hands on my hips. 

He lowered his head to murmur, "Am I hurting your bruises?"

It took me a second to figure out what he was talking about, but then his hand brushed against a bruise from surfing that morning. But I laughed, softly, "Nah, I don't think you could hurt me."

__

I never will forget those nights

I wonder if it was a dream 

Remember how you made me crazy? 

Remember how I made you scream?

Now I don't understand what happened to our love 

But babe, I'm gonna get you back 

I'm gonna show you what I'm made of

I can see you

Your brown skin shinin in the sun

I see you walkin real slow and you're smilin at everyone 

I can tell you my love for you will still be strong 

After the boys of summer have gone 

"What's on your mind, doll?" he asked me. 

"I'm thinking about the song," I admitted. 

"I like this song," he laughed. "It's got moxie."

"The fireworks should be starting in like, less than hour, I think," I said quietly. 

"Why the long face?"

I began to laugh. "You damn American!"

"What?" he cackled. 

"I wish you were from here."

"Awwww are you gonna miiiiisss me?"

"Not if you continue to MOCK me." I sighed. "But yeah, I'll probably get all sad and stuff when you leave."

He was tall enough to rest his chin on top of my head, but he didn't say anything. 

"You're a really…great guy, I just wanted to let you know that," I muttered. 

He snickered, and I just wanted to sink into the ground and die. 

"I want to let you know something too," Sean said, and bent over slightly so that our faces were centimeters apart. I looked up at him, wide-eyed, expectant and scared. 

He smiled gently and looked at my lips. 


	6. Up Next to Tamira

****

Zoey

The idiot had almost kissed me when he suddenly jerked back. My eyes shot open and I looked around.

"Hi…" an innocent-faced girl with caramel-coloured hair said slowly. "Sorry!'

She began to quickly walk away, a hand over her embarrassed face. 

But Sean jogged to catch up to her. "Tamira, it's okay, come meet Zoey."

Oh, so now he _wanted_ his friends to meet me? Before he couldn't get rid of them fast enough.

I was somewhat grumpy about not getting kissed. 

"Hi, I'm Tamira," the girl said, nervously friendly, but her smile was honest. "You're Zoey, I know. It's not like I stalk you or anything but Sean just told me about you. Oh, and he wasn't like talking about you_ incessantly_, he just--So you went surfing!!?"

Sean grinned at her affectionately. "Okay, Tamira? Oxygen plus cerebrum cortex equals GOOD. Okay? Okay, good."

Even though I was pretty sure that Sean had a thing for this girl, or at least he did at one point and still had feelings for her, I couldn't help immediately liking her. "I kinda surfed, yeah."

"I want to learn how," she said. I didn't hear laughter, but it was in her eyes and on her open face. "Sean and Alex taught themselves when we were in Bermuda, and I really wanted to get out there and try but I was scared of sharks."

"You surfed in shark infested waters?" I asked Sean. 

He smiled and shrugged. "There were jellyfish too. But I didn't find that out till later."

"Goodness," I laughed. 

"Well, I'll leave you guys alone," Tamira said, turning on her heel.

"You don't have to go," I called. 

"I should though," she explained, rapid fire again. "My cat's head is on fire. Nice to meet you!"

When she ran up the stairs, I looked up at Sean, waiting for him to talk. But he never did. He just smirked at me. 

"Old girlfriend?" I asked. 

"Yeah," he said with a shaky laugh. "My first girlfriend, actually."

"I like her," I told him. 

"Really? Because you _look_ jealous."

Smiling, I poked him in the chest. "And you enjoy that, don't you?"

"Could be worse, I guess." 

I sang teasingly, "You still _liiiiike_ her."

He sang back, "I do _nooottttt_."

"Ten bucks says you do."

"Ten bucks says I like _you_."

To keep from giggling uncontrollably, I pretended to be involved with looking up at the sky. 

****

Sean

Seeing Zoey up next to Tamira was mightily strange. Tamira was the first girl I had ever kissed, and she had taken my breath away with how sweetly naïve and innocent she was. I had never cared about anyone in my life up until then the way I cared about Tamira. The feelings I had for her were hard to get rid of even though we had broken up.

But Zoey was like magic. She compelled me. The moment I saw her, I had wanted her to myself. She wasn't like a supermodel or anything; but there was something alluring in her eyes every time I looked at her. I had never fallen for someone so fast. And usually no one really ever fell for me, but I think she was interested. 

And then I saw them together, smiling and talking together. It suddenly struck me that I wanted Zoey. I loved Tamira still, yes, but I would have chosen Zoey. I asked myself if maybe that was because Zoey wanted me back and Tamira didn't, but I didn't think so. I had found something in Zoey. 

The sky was dark and the air grew cold. We huddled together on a lounging chair, waiting for the fireworks to start as we got goosebumps from the chill. I didn't care when I noticed the other people on the boat giving me surprised looks, or even when Ashley began to catcall me…although I was quite relieved when Alex shut her up. 

This was a moment that I wanted to last forever, but wouldn't. I was holding the girl I had always wanted to meet, both of us looking up at the sky in silence. I was going to leave in two days, and I wasn't going to let anyone else ruin that expiring moment. 

"Looook," she said in awe, pointing to the stars. "Orion's belt."

"And the Little Dipper," I said. "And see that big cluster there? That's the Milky Way."

"Really?" she asked in surprise. 

"I think so." I looked at it for a moment and then laughed. "Never mind. That's a cloud."

"Well, it's a damn nice cloud."

I tightened my arms around her. 

She sighed. 

I smiled. 

Suddenly a loud thundering crack burst in the sky. I jumped, startled, but grinned as a showering of color lit up everything around us. 

I watched her, a wisp of her soft brown hair floating across my face in the light breeze. Her eyes were bright with fascination as the fireworks used the sky as a canvas, painting with bursts of green and blue and red. I studied her slightly parted lips. 

She was so into the fireworks and I was so into her. 

Jimmy suddenly tripped over a pool noodle and sprawled on top of us. I slapped him across the head. "Jimmy, get off, you oaf!"

He grinned and chuckled moronically, but he did get off of us. "Hey, you guys wanna see my toenail? I think it's ingrown!"

Shooting him a revolted look, I said, "Come on, Zoey, let's go find somewhere that's not swarming with oversized monkeys with wonky toenails."


	7. Unsuccessful Moxie

****

Zoey

He took me to the deserted far deck and we leaned against the railing. The fireworks were amazing and enchanting, but they would be over soon. Watching them with him added to the whole magic of the night, and it was not going to last much longer. 

Sean glanced at me a few times, but wouldn't make eye contact. For a sweet talker, he wasn't being very talkative. 

Well. I didn't care. _Be direct,_ I told myself. _Show some MOXIE._ _Whatever moxie means…_

The next time he looked over at me when he thought I wasn't looking, I leaned into him. 

But he put a hand on my shoulder to stop me. 

"Um," I muttered, pulling away from him. 

"I'm sorry," he said, firmly, quickly and helplessly. 

"No, I'm sorry," I insisted, embarrassed out of my mind. To top it off, the rain was starting up again. 

"Zoey," he began, gesturing weakly and putting a hand to his face. 

"Why did you almost kiss me back there?" I demanded, trying my best to ignore the blood rushing to my face. 

"Because I _like_ you!"

"Then why _didn't _you?"

"Because Tamira was there."

"And you didn't want her to think you were over her," I said. "Just in case she changes her mind and decides she wants you back."

"Zoey, don't make judgements. You don't even know Tamira. You don't understand the friendship me and her have."

"I'm stating the facts, Sean."

"You know, _who cares_ if I kiss you?" he snapped. "I'm shipping out in less than two days and I'll never see you again. A kiss would just end up a bad memory."

I stared at him in awed disbelief. "A bad memory," I repeated, unable to believe those words had come out of his mouth. 

He groaned as if he was very tired. "I didn't mean it like that."

"Really? Well I'll be damned." Scoffing, I spun around and began to walk away. 

"Zoey--" he said desperately. 

I turned around, lifting my arms and letting them fall at my sides in a weak _I-don't-get-it_ gesture. "I can't believe I let myself fall for you, Sean," I said, and then turned away again.

"I just don't want to miss you!"

His voice cracked when he called after me. But I had tears in my eyes and I couldn't bring myself to look at him. "You're gonna have to starting now," I murmured. 

****

Sean

Steam from my coffee twisted and curled in the air, but I wasn't drinking it. I would be up all night thinking about Zoey anyway so I figured I didn't really need a caffeine jolt. 

Max Ballard walked into the café and grinned at me. Not a good sign. Max didn't like me, or anyone else for that matter.

"Hanlon," he called. "Did you chase away that chick everyone was talking about?"

I shot him a look. 

"What, did you make a mistake and talk? You know girls don't like it when you do that, Sean." He tilted his head and smiled. "Actually, I did see a girl leave the boat about twenty minutes ago. She looked like she was ready to burst into tears. And then I think she did."

"Ugh…" I slammed my head down on the table and didn't move. 

__

Note to self: Ow.

"You're never gonna see the chick again anyway, why are you all GRR?"

My voice was muffled due to the lack of space between my face and the table. "Because I like her and she's SPECIAL."

"Oh my God," he muttered. "You're like a soap opera."

I didn't look up but I knew that he was gone. I can't say I was disappointed. Max's cloud of gloom rains on everyone within a five foot radius. 

I continued to sit there motionless, my nose squished against the table, occasionally sighing. 

"Hey, Sean?" Tamira's calming voice called, cautiously gentle. "They're closing right away."

"Let them arrest me," I mumbled. 

"Um, do you want more coffee?"

"No."

"Do you want…a pillow?"

"No."

"Do you want a friend?"

I wanted to smile for her, but I stayed as I was, sprawled out lifelessly on the table. "Sit."

She did. "Look, Sean, I don't know what happened, but I'm sure it's not the end of the world."

"I made Zoey cry."

"Oh," she murmured, and then tried to sound chipper as she punched me playfully in the shoulder. "Did you beat her up or something?" 

"No. I'm just an idiot."

"You're not an idiot, Sean."

"I thought she could help me get over you even though I knew I would only know her for three days and so I wanted to kiss her all freaking day and when she tried to kiss me I pushed her away and told her I couldn't because I didn't want to miss her and now I'm all blah."

"Awww!" a bunch of voices chorused. 

I shot up in my seat to see Denise, Cassidy and Jimmy standing around my table. 

"Augh!" I squawked. "Tamira! Why didn't you tell me you weren't alone?"

She gave me a bashful half-smirk. "You didn't _ask_?"

"Come here, little buddy!" Jimmy cried tearfully, reaching his arms out to me.

"Step away from the merchandise," I snapped before he could touch me.

"Sean, I never knew you had feelings!" Cassidy exclaimed. "I always thought you were just a walking talking hormone with strange taste in clothes."

Denise shook her head. "What were you thinking getting involved with a girl from a different country anyway?"

"I wasn't THINKING," I barked, standing up and brushing past all of them. "I was FEELING."

"Awww!"

"Shut up!"

"Awww!"

"I'm going to bed," I grumbled. 

"To think about the one that got away in PRIVATE?"

"No, to elaborately plot your deaths."

"Awww! He's blushing!" Cassidy cried. 

"I am not!"

"Look at him blush, you guys!"

"I CAN'T HEAR YOU," I yelled, exiting the café as quickly as possible. 

"Ewww!" I heard Cassidy say. "Did he say he's still not over you? I'm so sorry, Tamira."


	8. Brennan and the creepy bear

****

Sean

The next day sucked. It sucked a lot. The sucking was off the charts. 

After spending nearly forty-five minutes in the shower, I wrapped a towel around my waist and headed back to my room. I experienced marginal gratification when I discovered many people were upset that I had made them wait so long for the bathroom and that I had used up all the hot water.

The feeling of gratification quickly died when everyone I crossed paths with in my short walk across the hall screamed upon seeing me in a towel. 

I put on a pair of shorts and a white T-shirt and flopped on my bed. 

"Hey, Sean," Jimmy said, standing over me.

"You are blocking the sun, Jimmy."

"Okay, I know you're in the Great Depression mode because of that girl, but I was just wondering if you know what we're doing for our Canadian research assignment."

"Crap."

"Okay, just wondering. We'll figure something out."

"How about 'Canada puts Sean in a very bad mood?'"

"Uh, sure, little buddy," Jimmy said. "Anyway, when I'm in a bad mood because I ate some bad cheese or I missed The Reading Rainbow or whatever, I talk to my bear. His name is Floomakumuraswamy."

I peered up at him, not sure if I was curious or just amazed by his weirdness again. 

"Uhh, and for short, I call him Floom-Floom." He smiled, holding up a grungy looking bear for me to see. "I thought you might like to talk to him."

"Thanks, Jimmy, but I don't think Floom-Floom will help."

"Well, I'll just put him on your pillow anyway. I'll talk to you later, buddy."

****

Zoey

I drifted through school on Tuesday. By lunch, I made up my mind about whether or not I would stick around for my afternoon classes. 

"I didn't see you all weekend," my best friend Brennan said, sneaking up behind me as I pulled homework out of my locker. 

"Yeah, sorry."

"What are you doing?" he asked and gestured to the backpack I was cramming books into.

"Ditching."

"Good Lord! Did aliens abduct you and put mashed potatoes in your head so they could dissect your brain? Since when do you skip school? You've always been perfect and innocent, and that typically annoys me, but now I'm just frightened."

"I just need to think for awhile, Brennan," I sighed. "I can't do that effectively when I'm sitting in a desk and staring at a chalkboard."

"Where are you gonna go?"

"To the beach," I said without thinking.

"Do you want some company?"

"Brennan--"

"I'm coming with you. There's no way I'm sitting through math without you. Plus I'm going to make you tell me why your brains are like mashed potatoes. With gravy."

****

Sean

For awhile, I just had a staring contest with Floom-Floom. 

"I'm not talking to you, so you can just forget it," I snapped. 

Floom-Floom looked sad. 

"Don't look at me like that. I refuse to talk to a bear stuffed with cotton." I rolled over onto my other side. I felt Floom-Floom watching me and I rolled over again to face him. "I told you not to look at me like that."

To get away from his stare, I stuck my head under my pillow, knocking him off the bed in the process. I looked down at the floor where he was lying upside down. 

Floom-Floom was not happy. 

"Hey, you're not the one who can't have the stupid girl of his stupid fantasies, so don't give me that tone of look!"

Floom-Floom seemed to scowl. 

"_Yes _I can speak properly, but I've been in Canada for two days and so I've been talking weirdly. If you'll please excuse me, I am going to think about Zoey now." I gave in, picked him up and curled him under my arm. "You wanna hear about Zoey, eh?" I growled. "She's got me saying EH. That's just great."

****

Zoey

"I can't believe you're _mad_ at Sean," Brennan told me. 

"He led me on and let me get all gooshy over him and then he wouldn't let me near him!" I protested. 

We were walking barefoot along the beach, letting the cold surf rush over our feet. The air was heavy and cool from yesterday's rainstorms, but it was a beautiful day.

I had just gotten through telling Brennan, my best friend since third grade, about my weekend with Sean. For a guy, Brennan was surprisingly good at girl talks. 

"Zoey," he said, putting his arm around my shoulders. "The guy OBVIOUSLY has a thing for you. Can you really blame him for wanting to make it easier on himself--not to mention easier on you too--for when he has to go and leave you behind? If he doesn't let you get too close, then saying goodbye won't be so bad, you know what I mean?"

"One kiss," I grumbled. "One MEASLY kiss. That's all I wanted."

"I'm sure he did too. But maybe he thought that that one kiss would make it harder to let you go."

"I don't want him to leave like this!" I picked up some driftwood and used it as a walking stick. "I don't want him to leave thinking I hate him or that I don't understand."

"Then don't let him," Brennan said. 

****

Sean

"So, it took me five hours to figure out that she was PERFECT and that I was completely SCREWED because from the second I started crushing on her, I also started missing her. It's like Romeo and Juliet except I don't wear tights and I'm not going to poison myself. DID YOU KNOW Romeo and Juliet got more time together than me and Zo? They got five days. We only got two. This is crap. I'm mad. I hate the opposite sex. They're just bringers of doom and sorrow. But they smell good. Zoey smelled like coconuts." 

Floom-Floom appeared contemplative. 

"So now I've got two girls that I'm mentally nuts about and I've blown my chance with both of them. Tamira is still my friend but Zoey…she won't even be a _pen-pal."_

Floom-Floom stared. 

I shrugged and laughed humourlessly. "I just wish I could keep her, you know?"

I looked down at the teddy-bear. "Thanks for listening. You don't say much, do you?"

There was a brief knock at the door and I threw Floom-Floom across the room _(Note to self: I made a rhyme!)._

Jimmy walked in. "Forgot my sun screen. I was vaporizing." He looked at Floom-Floom, who had landed next to the dirty laundry pile. "How did he get over here?"

I shrugged carelessly. "That bear is creepy, Jimmy."


	9. Just Another Victim

****

Tamira

Sean moped around all day. It made me sad to see him that way because I was used to the come-what-may Sean.

I briefly wondered if he'd been this sad when he and I broke up. But that was selfish and cruel of me, and I wished I could take back that thought as soon as it crossed my mind. 

Sean was one of the best friends I had ever had. One time, he had single-handedly raised almost $1600 for _me,_ so I could stay on the boat when money got tight. He cared about me and he always tried his hardest to see to it that I had the best…and I tried to do the same for him. I no longer _liked_ him, but I still _loved_ him.

"Can I get a chocolate milk, Tams?" Jimmy asked, coming up to the counter. I quickly took my eyes away from the sight of Sean sitting alone and reading a James Dean biography. 

"Uh, sure," I told him, got him a carton and said, "Seventy-five cents, please. Thanks. Hey, Jimmy? What's the name of the restaurant that supposedly made you sick?"

"Sarah's, why? Are you gonna sue? That would be cool, making Canada go bankrupt and stuff!"

"Well…no…" I looked at the floor, trying to think of an excuse. But I'd never been good at lying before, so I didn't see how I would start being good at lying now. "Actually yes, I want to cause Canada's bankruptcy."

"Awesome." He held up his milk as if to say cheers before he left to sit down with Sean. Sean jumped, apparently not expecting company. Then his grin changed his entire face, making him look like the genuine, happy guy I knew. 

That made my mind up. I hated not being able to see that smile every time I looked at him. I looked around and spotted Ashley bragging about something to Alex. I ran over and handed her my apron. "Ashley, can you please, _please_ fill in for me? I won't be long, I swear!"

"You mean--you want me to work?" she asked, completely baffled.

"Not for long! You just have to smile and do what the customer wants."

Alex grinned at her. "Hey, you're used to that, Ashley."

Pursing her perfectly painted lips, she glared at him in silent anger. 

"Please? I owe you big time, Ash," I begged.

"Got that right, Sugar," she said, giving in.

"Thank you so much, Ashley," I said quickly and then ran out of the café.

****

Sean

"Wanna play Ninja Destroyer?" Jimmy asked. 

"No, not really, Jimbo. I think I'm gonna start racking my brain and try to come up with something for our assignment," I told him, looking up from my book. 

"Are you feeling more Sean-like now that you've had a chance to open up to Floom-Floom?"

"Okay, shut up, I did _not_ open up to Floom-Floom," I snapped.

"You had a heart to heart!"

"I did not, you're delusional."

"But have you forgotten all about…you know." He winked and elbowed me. "Z-O-W-E-E."

"Zow-wee?"

"Good, you're catching on."

I rolled my eyes.

"Arg, you're still sad."

"Meh."

He got an evilly happy look on his face. "You can't RUN! You can't HIDE!"

"Don't do it, Jimmy," I warned, trying hard not to smile. 

"You can't even leave your phone off the hook! _WHY?!"_

I threw my hands up in the air in theatrical horror. _"Brain sucking creatures from the planet Kilgore?!?!_ _AGHGHGHGHHH!!!"_

"I missed you little buddy!" Jimmy cried.

I buried my face in my hands and hit my head repeatedly against his shoulder. "I miss Zoey!"

****

Tamira

When I go to the mall, I hardly ever have to use the "You are HERE" directories because I have a good sense of direction, so I only had to stop and ask for help once trying to find Sarah's.

Stepping inside, I was greeted by the smell of fries and cinnamon, which I thought was an odd combination. There were paintings of harbors and sailboats and other ocean scenes hanging on the walls. I walked across the polished hardwood floor to the front till. 

"Can I help you?" a girl asked, with the almost Scottish sounding accent that I had been hearing everywhere in Halifax. She was effortlessly polite and charming. 

"Yes," I replied. "Is a girl named Zoey coming in here to work today?"

"Zoey?" After checking the clock, she said, "She should be checking in here in about…five minutes, at four-thirty."

I briefly wondered if she had said "aboot" or if that was just my imagination.

"Okay, thank you," I said, wondering where I should wait for the five minutes.

"Can I get you a place to sit, Miss?" When I smiled and nodded, she led me to a table for two. "What can I get you to drink?"

"Oh, I don't have any money on me--"

"It's on me. You look worried. It's the least I can do for you."

I briefly wondered if Canadians in general were this nice or if she was just a freak of nature. I meant that in a nice way.

"That's _really_ nice of you. An orange pop, please."

I sipped at my drink, skimming over the newspaper the waitress had brought to me. 

"Wooh, I ran here from my house and I'm going to collapse, I'm sorry!"

I looked up from an article about cod depletion to see Zoey running through the front door, pulling her hair into a ponytail. She disappeared through the door marked Employees Only. 

It was too early for much business at the restaurant. Besides me, the only patrons were a mother and daughter.

Zoey noticed me on her way to give the cook the mother and daughter's order. She slowed down considerably, looking panicked, then smiled uncertainly and walked past. I sighed in defeat. She was just going to ignore me, I realized. 

A few moments later, she came back and sat down across from me. "Tamira, how are you?

"I'm okay." I smiled. Actually it was kind of a half-smile/half-wince. "Are you too busy to talk?"

"Not yet. In about fifteen minutes this place will be crammed." She looked at me expectantly, her eyes wide. "What do you want to talk about?"

"Oh, come on, Zoey, you know why I'm here."

She glanced down at her hands. "Sean."

"Yep."

"What about him?"

"You can't let him leave without giving him a chance to say goodbye, Zoey," I told her strongly but gently. 

She shrugged. "He said goodbye to me last night when he pushed me away."

I wasn't very good at talking people, and I didn't know how to convince her. I just sighed. "He's been miserable ever since last night. You should see him. He doesn't really talk to anyone…except Jimmy claims he's been confiding in a teddy bear, but Jimmy is somewhat strange…but anyway, you really made him fall for you."

She searched my face for sincerity. After a long silence, she asked, "So what do I do?"

****

Ashley

I was glad I was rich. Working was hard.

****

Sean

I pulled my shirt up over my head and pretended to bludgeon Jimmy brutally, crying in my alien voice, "EEE EEE EEE EEE!!!!"

"Nooooo!!!" Jimmy screamed. Just another victim of the brain sucking creatures from the planet Kilgore.

Max, Cassidy and Denise walked by us, about to jump in the pool by the looks of their bathing suits. 

Denise muttered, "So guys' brains just stop developing at the age of eight, huh?"

Staring at me in disappointed disbelief, Cassidy said, "I liked you better when you were heartbroken, Sean."

Max volunteered, "I never liked you, Sean."

"Didn't take you long to get over her, did it?" Cassidy said, looking at me like I was some insensitive cretin.

"Whatever, Cassidy," I replied, my improving mood retreating back to the farthest corners in my mind. 

Jimmy threw his arm around me. "Sean doesn't let girls make him act like a zombie for any longer than half a day, isn't that right, Sean?"

I groaned.

"Oh no!" he cried. 

"What?" Cassidy demanded.

"He has the glazed look in his eyes again!" Jimmy stopped to lick his lips. "Mmm…doughnuts…Hey, why do they call them doughNUTS?"

"My bed is calling me," I told them and began to saunter my way back to my room.

"Sean," Cassidy called. "Stay with us! We'll cheer you up!"

"Cassidy, let him go. He needs to talk to Floom-Floom," Jimmy told her, trying to be sympathetic for me. 

"I do not!" I cried, and decided I might escape some ridicule if I just stayed out of my room where Floom-Floom lurked. Jimmy claimed he had heard me talking through the door and was spreading the rumour around the boat. He hadn't believed me when I tried to tell him it was _Floom-Floom_ that had been talking, not me.

Jimmy's voice held a wistful note. "Just think Sean, less than twenty-four hours ago, you and Zoey were cuddling in THAT VERY CHAIR and all was right in the world. And now you're all alone. Time does fly, doesn't it?"

"Arrrrrrrrg," I grumbled and flopped onto a different chair. I decided it would be best if no one spoke to me for awhile, so I figured maybe if I didn't move they would all think I was dead and they wouldn't bother me.

****


	10. Sean and Tamira

****

Sean

"Feelings…" I warbled, singing softly and probably off-key. "Woah, woah, woah, feelings…boy I'm feeling pretty helpless--" I looked up to see Tamira sit down on the chair beside me. Her cheeks were rosy.

"Hi Sean!"

I felt a twinge of something sad at her cheerfulness. "Hey Tams."

"How are you?"

I debated, unsure of what to say. I opened my mouth, but no words came out.

"Still not so good, huh." She reached out and touched my arm. "Sean, if you want to talk, I'm right here."

"Thanks, T, but…" I smirked. "I don't need to talk. There's nothing to talk about. I'm just being a damn baby."

"You are not."

"Yes, I am, Tamira. Whatsherface should not mean anything to me. She can't be anything. I knew that from the beginning, but I'm just sitting here feeling sorry for myself."

"Whatsherface?"

Shrugging sheepishly, I explained, "Shall not speaketh thy name."

"Gotcha."

"I know that pouting all day is immature and stupid--" I paused, fiddling with my watch. "I can't help it."

"It's _okay_ to be sad over a girl, you know," she said, her smile trying to reassure me.

"But it won't change anything," I told her. 

"No, but it's all you can do sometimes, is just…be sad."

I rested my head back against my chair and looked up at the sky, imagining the fireworks and how they lit up her face…

"Sean, I know it doesn't mean anything right now," Tamira said softly. "But you will be able to leave her behind and you'll go back to being yourself and just having fun and all that stuff."

__

And loving you, I thought to myself, acutely aware of her hand on my arm.

"I know. I'll forget all about whatsherface," I agreed unconvincingly. 

"Exactly!"

I smiled at her and looked away. I couldn't keep the smile on my face when I looked back. "Zoey was a doll, Tamira, I just, I don't know, I don't know what to do--"

She smirked tenderly, almost pityingly. "You said her name."

"Son of a building block."

Laughing, Tamira stretched out in the chair languidly. "If you want my opinion, I think you should just go take a walk along the beach. No one can bother you and you can just think."

"Yeah, I probably will later on."

"Okay, good." She grinned. "How about a game of foosball for now? I'll go easy on you, considering you're in such emotional distress."

"Oh you're _on, _Miss I-Can't-Figure-Out-Whose-Team-I-Play-For."


	11. Alone

****

Zoey

So the only guy who had ever though of me as kissable rather than revolting left my life as quickly as he came into it. I could deal with that. I could deal with missing him, wishing for him, and going through every if-only imaginable. But I could not deal with not being able to say goodbye to him. 

There was nothing I could do though. It was up to him.

Feeling the soft sand under my bare feet made me feel lonely. I would never watch him let Halifax sand sift through his toes as lightening cut the sky, the world alive with a spring storm. I would never next sit on the beach again, freezing, and see him come out of the water with an innocently happy smile, the ocean waves lapping against his legs. 

The sun was setting. 

From then on, every time the sun set would be the end of another day without him. 

I didn't know why I was so sad.

But I dropped to the ground, hugging myself weakly, and began to cry. 

****

Sean

I had just beaten Tamira for the sixth consecutive time at foosball. She didn't seem to mind, judging by the way that she laughed even when she was losing. 

"Feeling any better?" she asked, absentmindedly spinning the handles. 

"Agh, yeah, I guess," I replied. 

"Good. It can only get better from here, Sean," she told me, with a small smile. "I've got some studying to do though, so I'll see you later, all right?"

"All right." I smiled. "Thanks, T."

I found myself standing on the deck where she had almost kissed me and I had stopped her. It was the last place I had seen her, and I couldn't stop picturing her walking with such painful pride. Away from me, always away from me. 

Then I remembered the way she had held on to me when we were swimming. She had trusted me. Her hands on the back of my neck and her body so close to me…And then we watched the storm together, protected by the sand dune, not caring about anything else because we had found each other. 

Maybe I couldn't see her again. But I was going to go down to the beach and say goodbye to the memories it held. 

****

Zoey

Who are you in love with?

Imagine the light in their eyes when they smile at you and imagine never seeing it again.

Why had I let myself get so wrapped up in him? I knew from the start he couldn't stay; I couldn't follow; we would most likely never see each other again. 

But he made me fall in love with him and I hated him for it as I cried. 

Guys never liked me and the ones that did were losers. Why did he have to come in to my life? Why did the one guy that was so amazingly different from all the others have to be the one that would break my heart just by caring about me? Why did I have to be given a taste of the love that I was missing out on, only to have it taken away? Why did Sean have to go?

Stars dotted the twilight like fireflies, but I was not ready to go home. My mother knew where I was. And I felt him a little better sitting next to the ocean. 

I had been crying now for a half-hour off and on, unable to find the strength to move. I felt heavy and lost and dizzy and small and confused. 

__

Stuck in this stupid fisherman town, stuck in loneliness, stuck in love, stuck 

"Hey dollface."


	12. Needy Jimmy

****

Jimmy

Food. Sean. A tummy rub. A hug. 

That's what I was missing. 

I roamed the halls, looking for someone to comfort me. 

Sean always claimed I was too needy. I wasn't _that_ needy. I missed Sean.

It was past the ten-thirty curfew and Sean hadn't come back from wherever, which meant if he didn't get back soon, it would just be me and Floom-Floom in Room 403 that night, and that bear really was kinda scary. [AN: I don't know if Sean and Jimmy are in Room 403 or not, but 403 is my area code so I used it :)] Sean was also going to be neck deep in trouble for being late when he got back. 

"Denise!" I yelled, seeing her come down the hallway. "Hug?"

"Aww, Jimmy, you're such a teddy bear," she said and gave me a hug. "GUAWK--Air!"

"Oh. Sorry," I chuckled, loosening my grip on her. "Have you seen Sean?"

"No," she replied, smoothing down her shirt. "Last I saw him, he was still moping by the pool."

"So judging by his similarity to a snail today, he could not have gotten very far so I'll go check there!" I decided, mentally condoning myself for being brainiacity. 

Alex was doing something to Ashley's red hair when I got to the pool deck. I saw no Sean. But I flopped down on the chair Ashley was stretched out on. 

"Dude, why are you tying her hair in knots?" I asked. 

"WHAT?" Ashley screamed. "Alex, if I get so much as a single split end--"

"I'm just _braiding_ it," Alex protested. "Ash, don't worry, Jimmy knows nothing about hair. It's why he always has a hat on."

"I take offense," I told him. "Where's Sean?"

"Who knows?" he said. "Who cares? You should put a bell around his neck or get a leash or something."

"Fine!" I cried in a huff. "MAX!"

Max looked in my direction critically. I ran to the other side of the deck to where Max and Cassidy were lounging in the pool, but I wiped out on a puddle. "Augchck--that's gonna need some ice…" I crawled to my feet and finally reached the poolside. "Max!"

"Yes, Jimmy," he muttered. 

Max seemed to need an attitude adjustment today. Actually, every day. But he was still cool. I wished I could need an attitude adjustment like Max. Because he was cool. He got girls. 

"Have you seen Sean?"

Rolling his eyes, he turned back to Cassidy and dunked her. She came up sputtering and laughing, and splashed him.

I waited for awhile to get a reply. 

Max looked up at me eventually. "You're still here?"

"In the flesh!" 

"You didn't notice how I was ignoring you?"

"Uh, nope!"

Cassidy smiled at me. "The last time I saw Sean, he was kicking Tamira's butt at foosball."

"Thanks CASSIDY," I grumbled pointedly, and set out to find Tamira. 

Two people I didn't actually know were occupying the foosball table. I set down the hallway to Ashley and Tamira's cabin. I was getting a lot of exercise. It reminded me that I was still hungry. 

Peeking my head in the room, I saw Tams sitting on her bed and reading. "Pizza delivery," I called. 

She looked up with a smile I didn't usually receive from other girls for some reason I was not aware of. "Hi Jimmy. Come in."

I cannonballed on to her bed. She dove on to the floor just in time. I liked Tamira. She was smart. "Are you holding my best friend hostage in here?" I asked. 

"Who, Mr. Cherry?"

"I don't believe in Mr. Cherry anymore," I said in my duh voice. "Captain Ballard says he was only imaginary. I meant Sean."

"Oh THAT best friend."

"I miss Mr. Cherry," I sighed. 

"Yes, Jimmy, we all do."

I took my attention away from the sad memory of my former friend, a clown I had dubbed Mr. Cherry because he had a big red nose. "Anyway, are you hiding Sean in some sort of secret annex in your closet?"

She grinned. "Yep. He's my little Anne Frank."

"Little buddy?" I called, going over to her closet and rifling through its contents. "Sean? Are you in here?"

"Jimmy, I was kidding," she laughed. "Sean's down at the beach."

"At eleven o'clock at night?" A horrifying thought occurred to me. "Is he skinny dipping without ME?" 

"No…But I don't understand why you want to go skinny-dipping with another male," she muttered. "He's meeting Zoey."

"The evil Canadian?"

"She's not evil, she's nice!"

"She didn't make _you_ puke."

"That's true. She must be evil then." She smiled, looking quite proud of herself. "Wanna hear a secret?"

"Is it about the gambling pig conspiracy?" I asked, excited. 

"Noo…" Tamira stared at me. "Um…nooo…what about gambling pigs?"

"Nothing," I said quickly. "Never mind. I said nothing. We never had this conversation."

"Okay." She gave me one last questioning look before she went on. "Okay. I told Sean to go take a walk along the beach so that he could think on his last night here and stuff, right, because here everyone bugs him and stuff and so he went and that's where he is, but I also went to see Zoey today at the restaurant that made you puke and I told her to go down to the beach _too_ but I told her _why _to go there but I didn't tell Sean because then he wouldn't go so they're both at the beach being reunited!"

"You talk really fast!" I observed. "So, let me get this straight." I made a few calculations in my head. "Run that by me again."

"Sean and Zoey are saying goodbye."

"Sick. I hope not with their tongues."

"Well, they _have_ been gone for an awfully long time."

"That's gross. He'd better not be kissing that crafty Canadian."

Tamira sighed. "Young love."

"She's gonna make me puke again."

"Not in my room, you're not."


	13. Shortest forever

****

Sean

Zoey looked back, and I noticed that her nose was pink, her eyes were red, and her cheeks were stained with tears. Had I done this to her? 

I smiled gently at her, approaching her like you might approach a frightened deer. I was scared she might run away from me. 

"Sean!" she exclaimed, standing up and dusting the sand off of her sarong. She took a step towards me, but quickly backed up again, as if remembering what had happened the evening before. 

"I didn't know you were going to be here," I said. 

"Tamira came to the restaurant today and we talked, and she told me to wait here," she murmured, looking up at me with timid eyes. 

"Really? Because Tamira's the one that told me to go take a walk--" I grinned. "_Tamira!"_ I said, like I had solved a mystery. 

She giggled quietly. "Yep, this was Tamira's doing." 

"Well. I can't complain."

"Good." Zoey smiled, and then she faltered again. "I'm really sorry, Sean."

"Don't be, doll, I acted like--"

"I shouldn't have tried to do what I did, and I shouldn't have gotten mad at you for stopping me. And I definitely should not have talked about you and Tamira the way I did." Her eyes grew moist with new tears, and I pulled her into a hug so that she would have a shoulder to cry on if she needed one. 

"I was trying to spare some feelings," I said into her hair. "But I've been a mess, and I realized that I didn't do a very good of sparing any feelings, you know? I missed you more than I ever would if I had just kissed you because I felt like I was just giving you up, and I can't do that, Zo. I can't give you up without…I can't leave you until…This sucks."

She laughed shakily. I could feel her tears through my thin cotton shirt. "Yes, yes it does."

"I already miss you, Zoey," I muttered. "You're my doll."

"So…goodbye?"

"No," I said harshly. "No. Not yet. I'm not saying goodbye to you yet."

Zoey looked up at me, so sad, with hazy eyes that pleaded for something impossible with mine. "You have to."

"Tonight, we can do anything we _want_, okay, Zoey? And I am not saying goodbye to you _tonight_." 

****

Zoey

__

Kiss me just kiss me just kiss

It was all I could think of as his hands pressed against my back and I could smell his light, spicy cologne. I could not stop crying now that he was so close to me. Blurry tears blinded me so I didn't know Sean was about to kiss me until I felt his lips softly on mine. 

A murmur of protesting coaxing grew in my throat as I kissed him back, closing my eyes and curling my arms around him. His fingers brushed my cheek and I felt myself falling into him completely, as seconds and moments flew by. And then minutes passed. 

After what seemed like the shortest forever, we both pulled away, grinning and blushing. I disentangled my arms from around him and he took me by the hand, silently leading me to where we had watched the storm…only yesterday? It seemed like longer than that. But when we were inside, he brought me back into his arms and we just sat, his arms holding me, and the black sky falling on us. I could feel the rise and fall of his chest. Tomorrow we would go home, but not tonight. 

We said nothing, but there was nothing really to say, except for _goodbye_, and we weren't ready to say that yet. 


	14. a memory

****

Tamira

"Okay, people!" Tony announced in his prissy voice. "We ship out in an hour! If you have any last minute URGENCIES, do it now or forever hold your peace!"

Jimmy latched onto my arm. Both of us were standing on the deck, looking out at the beach. "TAMIRA!"

"Jimmy?"

"What if Sean doesn't come back in time?" he cried. 

"We won't leave without him, Jimmy," I reminded him calmly. "There's roll call."

"I know, but what if he just doesn't come back? What if he decides that he's crossed over to the dark side?"

"The dark side?"

"Canada."

I gave him a look. "Must you create Star Wars analogies for everything?"

"It helps me grasp the situation."

"Sean will get here. Just give him some time."

I rested my chin on my arms, missing Sean. 

****

Sean

"Cold! Cold! Cold!" 

My outburst woke Zoey up. She stretched, hit me in the face, and recoiled, apparently not expecting to wake up on a beach with a guy behind her. "What the hell?"

"I'm cold and you hit me!" I informed her. 

Groggily, she checked her watch. "CRAP on a stick, my mother is going to rip off my head and feed it to the beavers."

"I need to get back to the boat before they go to Chile without me," I said. That would be quite the story to have to explain to my mother. I didn't think "My high school on a boat left me behind because I was sleeping with some strange girl on a beach" would sit very well with her.

"Oh this is bad. Bad. Very bad."

I grinned at her, deliberately obnoxious. "Good _morning_, Sunshine."

She smiled back. "BAD morning. I already skipped school YESTERDAY for you and now I'm…three hours late for today."

"What time is it?"

"Eleven."

Zoey and I had slept together, on the beach of all places. Well, not SLEPT TOGETHER. Well, yes, slept together. But not nudge, nudge, wink, wink kinda slept together. We fell asleep. But imagine what you wish. 

"I really have to go, Sean," she said, looking up at me with those big, liquid blue eyes. "I'm sorry."

"I have to go too, dollface."

We both stood up, holding hands loosely, unsure of what to say. I couldn't imagine never how her eyes lit up with laughter or how that smile that just made me melt completely. How do you say goodbye to someone like that? 

"I never got your address or anything," I said softly. 

Zoey grinned. "I know. That way, you have to come back here if you ever want to see me again."

I missed her. Leaning over, I kissed her cheek, and then slowly began to walk away. I called over my shoulder, "It's a date."

I got back to the boat, not quite as depressed as before. 

Jimmy clobbered me, and my life flashed before my eyes as he cut off my oxygen supply. 

"Little buddy, I missed you so much, I thought you were a goner! I thought the Canadian got you and I would never _see_ you again and I was just so scared and I missed you so much, never do that to me again!"

"Woah, big daddy," I laughed, struggling out of his monstrous hug. "I'm happy to see you too."

Tamira smiled at me from behind Jimmy. "I was almost beginning to think that you wouldn't come back, myself."

I grinned at her, and threw my arms around her. "Who loves you, baby?!"

She giggled, hugging me back. "You do?"

"That was so awesome what you did for me, Tams," I said, genuine. "It was really cool."

Tucking her hair neatly behind her ears as I released her from the hug, she shrugged and said, "That's what friends are for, Sean." A sly look crossed her face. "So what did you two _do_ all night?"

"Did you know," I laughed. "Canadians turn into werewolves when there's a full moon?"

"There wasn't a full moon last night, Sean."

"Yeah, I know, I slept outside."

Laughing, she just shook her head. "All right then. I'll take it you don't want to tell me what events took place last night."

"Nothing happened, T," I said honestly. "But it was nice, just getting to be with her."

Jimmy clapped me on the shoulder repeatedly. "Sean, I got a joke for you!"

Raising my eyebrows, I waited for him to go on, knowing he wasn't looking for my permission.

"Knock-knock."

"Who's there, Jimmy?"

"Dude, you're not supposed to know who it is already!" He gave me an impatient look. "I have to do a new one now. And don't say who's there JIMMY this time okay? Knock-knock!"

I sighed. "Who's there?"

"Zoey!"

Pausing, I asked slowly, "Uh, Zoey who?"

"Good, you've already forgotten about her!" He began to laugh hysterically. 

Tamira and I exchanged semi-amused looks, and then my eyes drifted back to the beach. I wished I had a camera. It was where I had taught Zoey to surf; where we had laughed, holding hands, as spring rain showered us; where I had kissed her; where we had fallen asleep to the sound of each other's rhythmic breathing. But the thing I remembered most was watching her sit on the white sand, her legs drawn up and her chin resting on her knees, as she looked out over the grey waves, a peaceful look in her light eyes. She was like a black and white photograph. Beautiful, but enigmatic and untouchable; a memory from the past that you could never get back. 


End file.
